Danville Express

Rotary names Valley Teen Idol 2007

Kate Creamer, 18, a student at Diablo Valley College, has been selected as Valley Teen Idol 2007 by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley. Creamer graduated from Freedom High School in Brentwood and lives with her grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. C. Stephen Johnson of Alamo.

"It's an honor," Creamer said. "It's so exciting. I'm so happy about it. It was a great experience."

She sang "Trouble" by Elvis Presley and "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood at the competition. She said those songs had a big range, were different, and she could perform them powerfully.

As a result of winning the contest, Creamer has the opportunity to write a song together with a producer from Prime Time Records in Danville. She has already spoken to him, she said, adding she wants to perform at the State Fair in Sacramento.

The contest drew 200 contestants, and the five finalists competed April 14 at the Canyon View Dining Hall in San Ramon. The other finalists were Alexandra Ader and Michelle Carozza, both from Danville; Ashlee Trimnell from San Ramon; and Kelly Drinkward from Castro Valley.

Creamer's prizes were a check for $1,000, a recording session, a trophy and a certificate. Second and third place winners received $500 and $250.

"I started performing when I was 8 years old," Creamer said. "When I get on stage, it's like I'm not myself and something takes over me. I get out of my box."

This second annual contest was open to performers ages 13 to 19. Judges, who heard the contestants sing a 60-second a cappella performance, included some people from the music industry.

"It's a fun way for kids to express themselves and to utilize their talent," said Debora Killeen, the founder of the event. "There's so much hidden talent out there."

Tickets for the Teen Idol gala competition were $65, with proceeds going to Rotary activities, which include providing scholarships to students, helping out with international projects and assisting the elderly.

Posting an item on Town Square is simple and requires no registration. Just complete this form and hit "submit" and your topic will appear online.
Please be respectful and truthful in your postings so Town Square will continue to be a thoughtful gathering place for sharing community information
and opinion. All postings are subject to our TERMS OF USE, and may be deleted if deemed inappropriate by our staff.

We prefer that you use your real name, but you may use any "member" name you wish.

Name:*

Select your neighborhood or school community:*

Choose a category:*

Since this is the first comment on this story a new topic will also be started in Town Square! Please choose a category that best describes this story.

Comment:*

Verification code:* Enter the verification code exactly as shown, using capital and lowercase letters, in the multi-colored box.